European Forum for Primary Care Webinar: 18 July, at 12:30-13:30h (CET)
EFPC Webinar: 18 July, at 12:30-13:30h (CET): “Webinar on advantages and challenges of AI”
By Florian Stummer (leading telemedicine research at the Department for Primary Care Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna)
Access-Link: https://euprimarycare.org/2024/04/30/18-07-24-webinar-on-advantages-and-challenges-of-ai/
Practical guide for ME/CFS
Based on scientific data from more than 900 patients from the D-A-CH region, the practical guide aims to improve the care of ME/CFS patients quickly and sustainably. The research project was carried out together with the Austrian Society for ME/CFS and therefore integrates the many years of experience of ME/CFS patients. The project, funded by the Open Innovation in Science Center of the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, offers clearly defined starting points for healthcare professionals in terms of diagnostics, disease management and therapeutic approaches as well as for the design of care services for ME/CFS patients.
More about the project Care for ME/CFS: https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/forschung/projekte/computer-based-clustering-of-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-patients/care-for-me/cfs/
Our ME/CFS webinars are now also available as accredited on-demand training courses!
Thanks to the ÖG ME/CFS, our ME/CFS webinars are now also available as accredited on-demand training courses! The first webinar available there is the "International webinar regarding neurological aspects of ME/CFS". You can find access here: https://mecfs.at/aerztinnen/
Further highlights from the Long-Covid, PAIS and ME/CFS reserach focus
The aim of this D-A-CH consensus statement is 1) to summarize the current state of knowledge on ME/CFS, 2) to highlight the Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC) as clinical criteria in diagnostics with a focus on the key symptom post-exertional malaise (PEM) and 3) to provide an overview of current options and possible future developments, particularly with regard to diagnostics and therapy. The D-A-CH consensus statement is intended to support physicians, therapists and experts in diagnosing patients with suspected ME/CFS by means of adequate anamnesis and clinical-physical examinations as well as the recommended clinical CCC, using the presented questionnaires and other examination methods. The overview of the two pillars of therapy for ME/CFS, pacing and the symptom-relieving therapy options, should not only serve as an orientation for physicians and therapists, but also support decision-makers from health policy and insurance companies in determining which therapy options should already be reimbursable by them at this point in time for the indication "ME/CFS".
Media articles
Another media article on post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS) and ME/CFS with a focus on treatment structures:„Zehntausende werden medizinisch vernachlässigt“ has been published.
As well as an article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/geschenk/einloesen?token=54329cf0-8f15-4412-a001-de373b66f5d7 (unfortunately behind paywall)
Webinar
The interdisciplinary webinar on post-acute infection syndromes including ME/CFS and their differentiation from F diagnoses on 23.05.2024 was a complete success with 902 registrations. The topic was: Post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS) and their most severe form with post-exertional malaise (PEM), myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are somatic multisystem diseases whose incidence has increased significantly and continues to rise due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the continued lack of preventive measures such as clean indoor air. However, since post-acute infection syndromes have been criminally neglected in medicine in recent decades, many doctors, but also other health and social professions, find it difficult to correctly diagnose them clinically, differentiate them from F diagnoses and correctly classify comorbidities.
MigraCare at the Austrian Society for Geriatrics and Gerontology (ÖGGG)
On Friday 4 April 2024, Silvia Wojczewski had the pleasure of presenting our MigraCare project at the ÖGGG conference "Geriatrics and Gerontology
- No Question of Age!" in the small ballroom (Kleiner Festsaal) of the University of Vienna. Together with the other projects of the Caring Communities for Future Lab of the OIS Centre of the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and Gesundheit Österreich GmbH, they discussed community health promotion in the setting of home care for older people. The main focus was on how offers can be tailored to the wishes and needs of all involved groups - older people, caring relatives and "24-hour" carers.
More information on the conference:
Network meeting “Shaping care as community” in Graz
In home care, several people come together who often have different interests and challenges: the person who needs to be looked after and cared for, family members and, increasingly, the live-in carer who supports the family carers and are an important pillar for the healthcare system. The "Shaping care as community" network meeting in Graz in May 2024 was a first step towards bringing together and discussing the difficult positions and problems in home care, the burdens on family carers and the worries and needs of the people being cared for. At the network meeting, experiences were exchanged, needs discussed and demands formulated that will subsequently be passed on to political decision-makers. A total of around 30 people took part in the network event: Live-in carers, family carers, community nurses, as well as people from the research community and supporters who documented the event. The network meeting was a first personal exchange between family carers and live-in carers and enabled the groups to get to know each other's perspectives. The participants expressed great satisfaction with the event and a desire for the continuation of such events.
„Who cares for us? The role of live-in care for the Austrian long-term care system”
An online survey was conducted with the aim of gaining an in-depth insight into the working and living conditions of 24-hour carers in Austria. The survey covered various dimensions, including job profile, health and well-being, workload, social integration, training needs and existing challenges of migrant live-in care workers in Austria.
ME/CFS
Long-Covid, Post-Covid und ME/CFS
In the last months of 2023 and the first months of 2024, there were a large number of highlights and activities on the topics of Long-Covid, post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS) and ME/CFS by Prof. Dr. Kathryn Hoffmann, MPH.
Below you will find a brief summary:
- Stakeholder meeting of the WE&ME Foundation to improve the care situation of ME/CFS sufferers in Austria on 22.01.2023: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7155941460997984257-lmCG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- Standard interview on the subject of Long Covid - what does that actually mean? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7150218653777518594-O7SD?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- APA interview on Long-Covid and prevention: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7147971302056783872-a8gN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
This APA interview was picked up by many media outlets and even made it into the Frankfurter Rundschau in Germany.
- Ongoing new Ford education activities on the following topics Long-Covid sowie MECFS, in February 2024, the Vienna Medical Association will be offering further training on post-acute infection syndromes, medical diagnostics and treatment options. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7133932139267436544-ItzS?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- Brief review of the training course on long-Covid and post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS) at the Stafam Congress in Graz in November 2023: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7133799307257757696-p7s0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- The symposium on Long-Covid, PAIS and ME/CFS organized by the Ministry of Health and GÖG on 20.11.2023, during which the OSR manifest on urgently needed care for those affected was also presented to the Minister. Minister Rauch announces that there will be a reference center and NAP on the topic by summer 2024.
- Ars-Boni Podcast on Long-Covid and Primary Care. Many thanks to Prof. Nikolaus Forgo for this opportunity: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7120164874986397696-EI6v?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
- Several radio reports on ME/CFS: fm4 and Ö1
In December, the endowed professorship in Nursing Science was assigned to the Department of Primary Care Medicine. Below is the link to the foundation's website: